


you're with me for the ride

by Kuranosuke



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Childhood Friends, Drugs, Fluff, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Teenage Shenanigans, also motorcycles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7720078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuranosuke/pseuds/Kuranosuke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an incident that threatened his mother's business, Monty was shipped off to boarding school for three and a half years, leaving his best friend behind. But soon the money runs out – as money always does – and he's forced to attend his town's local high school for his final semester of high school. When run in with a motorcyclist turns out to be fate's way of bringing him and Jasper back together, he's suddenly thrown into Jasper's world. He should be right where he's always wanted to be, but with his unspoken feelings resurfacing, a secret to keep, and a strict mother, Monty feels more at odds with the world than ever. </p>
<p>Basically a high school AU complete with all the classic high school highlights: drugs, friendship, angst, relationships, motorcycles, tragedy, and the fear of impending adulthood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic published on AO3 as well as my first fic with multiple chapters. the title is a reference to an old Dan Smith song, in case anyone is interested. this fic does have a warning for drug use, but other than that, there's not going to be anything graphic. enjoy!

Listening to the low growl of the car engine and the hiss of the heater forcing warm air through the vents, Monty closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing mind. He sat with his arm resting against the window, his palm propping his chin up so that he could rest his face against the icy glass in hopes that the chilled surface would ease his feverish skin. He tried to think of anything other than the sight he would inevitably see when he opened his eyes, but no amount of remembered jokes and moments of joy could sooth his nerves.

  
“Monty.”

  
At the sound of his mother’s voice, the boy let his eyes flutter open to take in the sight before him: the local high school that – despite living a couple miles away for his entire life – he had never attended before now. At the age of seventeen, Monty had his own car. In this moment, he longed to be in the driver’s seat so that he could have the freedom to drive away if his first day took a turn for the worst, but he knew that his mother took pride in driving her son to each of his first days. Or at least she used to, back when she was driving a bright, giggling child to his first days of elementary and middle school, his first day of summer camp, or his first day of advanced classes at the community college for pre-teens with academic potential. That pride seemed to have been replaced with shame and frustration whenever she drove him to his first days at the several boarding schools she had sent him to over the past few years.

  
After taking in the view of his new school (which wasn’t spectacular – Monty thought it looked more like a jail than a school, with its bleak white walls and dark, shuttered windows), Monty sighed, allowing his hot breath to fog up the glass and obstruct the scene outside. “Okay,” he began as he reached down to gather up his things. “I’ll see you later.” Slinging his bag over one shoulder, he gripped the car handle but didn’t pull. Instead, he turned to meet his mother’s eyes. She was watching him with her eyebrows knitted together, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

  
The silence hung in the air for a few moments before Mrs. Green spoke. “Have a good first day. Please try to make a good first impression.” She hesitated before speaking again. “This _is_ your last chance to do that, after all.”

  
Monty grimaced and nodded. It was the January of his senior year. He had originally felt relieved that this was going to be his last first day before finally graduating, but his mother’s words filled him with a whole new sense of pressure to do well. Monty said a curt good-bye before opening the door and immersing himself in the cool winter air. He frowned at the ground as he made his trek across the parking lot, shivering slightly against the icy wind. It wasn’t like he had made particularly bad impressions at his previous schools. It was more like he hadn’t made any impression at all. He was exceptionally gifted, but as soon he was enrolled in that first boarding school, he no longer felt like drawing any attention to himself. He didn’t underachieve or overachieve; He simply did the bare minimum to keep his grades up. He avoided praise from teachers almost as much as he avoided socializing with his peers. He ghosted through his time at his past few schools, but in all honesty, he didn’t see what was so bad about that. _She treats my lack of a social life like it’s as bad of a crime as what got me into this mess_ , he brooded silently.

  
Monty was so completely engulfed in his thoughts that he failed to notice that he had begun crossing the road that runs between the parking lot and the school gates.

  
“Hey!” A muffled yell snapped Monty out of his frustrations. Reacting almost instinctively, Monty stumbled backwards as a boy on a motorcycle sped in front of him, missing the toes of his sneakers by mere centimeters. Monty could hardly see the boy’s face – his eyes were hidden by goggles with a greenish hue and his lips and nose were neatly shielded from the cold wind by a black bandana. His unkempt brown hair whipped around in the wind, brushing against his high cheekbones. Rather than a jacket to protect him from the cold, he wore a thin, long sleeved baseball tee which the wind had pushed upwards, exposing the lines of his lower back as he drove away and turned a corner. Yet the most striking thing for Monty was the fact that even as he drove away, the motorcyclist continued to stare at him, as if he were analyzing Monty’s face. When the boy had driven into the parking lot and out of sight, Monty blinked himself back to reality. He hurried out of the road, fixing his bangs, which had been blown into disarray.

  
Walking up the steps to the school, Monty replayed the scene in his mind. _God, I must have looked so stupid, just standing there like a dumbass._ He shook his head in frustration. _He was probably just watching my reaction so that he can laugh about it later._ Another sigh forced its way out of Monty’s body as he made his way to the first class on his schedule, feeling as if any possibility of making a good first impression on his last first day had just withered away.

 

 

 

 

 

Monty’s first weeks at Arkadia High were spent giving halfhearted introductions, attempting to catch up on an entire semester of missed material, and praying that he wouldn’t run into the boy who drove the motorcycle. He was almost certain that he would die of embarrassment if he did. Monty wasn’t an unfriendly person under any circumstances. Whenever one of his new peers would approach him, he would oblige in their small talk, charming them with his warm smile. It wasn’t long before he had a few friends in each class. However, it was clear that he kept his friendships almost one-sided; when his personal life made its way into the conversation, he would always change the subject. There was only one person in his life that he would truly reveal himself to, and he had lost that person long ago.

  
As noon rolled around, Monty knew that was his cue to leave. He had enrolled in a few afternoon classes at the college, allowing himself to leave Arkadia while his peers were grouping up to eat lunch. Once in a while, he would notice a lanky figure making its way over to the motorcycle, but this occurrence only motivated Monty to drive away even faster.

  
On the Monday of Monty’s third week, he woke up feeling a familiar ache just behind his eyes, reminding him that he had only gotten two hours of sleep. He had spent his entire weekend trying to catch up with the rest of his literature class in _An American Tragedy_. Mindlessly he performed his morning routine and drove himself to school. His tired pace brought him into the parking lot a few minutes later than normal and he realized that those few minutes had made all of the difference – he was suddenly battling what felt like the entire school for a parking spot.

  
Settling on a space in the back corner, he began to park, a yawn forcing his eyes almost closed as he turned the wheel. Squinting, Monty saw a dark blur speed in front of his car. Panic flushed through his system and he slammed on the breaks. As he was thrown forward, knocking his chest on the wheel, he could see that in the time he had taken to slowly park, the motorcyclist had cut him off, taking his parking spot. The boy with the shaggy brown hair had parked diagonally and was looking over his shoulder at a bewildered Monty. Gathering himself, Monty waved his hand as if to say “my bad” and continued his hunt for a spot.

  
After settling for a spot on the grass, Monty made his way up the steps and into the Arkadia High courtyard. He scanned the crowds as he passed them and noticed the motorcyclist he had just nearly run over. The boy was standing with his back to Monty. A heavier jacket had now materialized on his skinny frame – Monty assumed he kept it in his locker – and his goggles were pushed onto the crown of his head, causing his bangs to splay out in all different directions behind him. He was speaking to a shorter girl with coarse black hair. She wore a pastel blue dress draped with a heavy cable knit sweater, thick tights, and boots. She looked preppy in comparison to the grungy-looking motorcycle boy.

  
Monty silently chuckled at the idea of them dating as he walked past, but his smile suddenly dropped as the girl turned and made eye contact with him. Her eyes widened and she tilted her head to say something to the motorcyclist, keeping her gaze on Monty the entire time. Monty felt his face flush as he looked away and quickened his pace, assuming she was saying something about him. But a tentative voice stopped him in his tracks.

  
“Monty? Monty Green?”

  
Recognition immediately flickered at the other boy’s voice and a large smile appeared on Monty’s face before he had even finished turning around. “Jasper!”

  
Jasper pulled Monty into a long hug, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy’s shoulders and laughing into his dark hair. “Dude, I thought I would never see you again!” Monty felt a happy warmth blossom in his stomach as they broke the hug, his former best friend keeping both hands firmly on Monty’s shoulders, as if he was still testing to make sure that Monty was really there.

  
A playful flicker shot through Jasper’s eyes as he knitted his eyebrows together, pouting mockingly. “You almost hit me with your car this morning, you jerk!”

  
Monty gaped for a long moment as it dawned on him that Jasper was the one that drove the black motorcycle. Laughing, Monty ran a hand through his bangs as he spoke. “That was payback for nearly killing me with your motorcycle on my first day.”

  
Jasper released one of Monty’s shoulders and pointed his finger between Monty’s eyes. “Well that was just your bad karma from leaving me for so long. Seriously man, where did you go?” Monty’s smile faltered minutely at the question, but even after nearly four years Jasper still read Monty like a book. “Never mind that. I’m just glad you’re here.” He engulfed Monty into another big hug, patting his back as Monty closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

  
“Wait,” Monty started, gently squirming out of the embrace. “I thought you got into that magnet school? You know, the science-y one in the next town over?” He stared at his friend, confusion swimming in his widened eyes.

  
Jasper rolled his eyes. “Yeah, fuck that.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I stayed there for one semester and then transferred. The kids there were like – ‘whoa!’” He raised his eyebrows and threw his arms out in a confused gesture. “‘There’s no way a guy can have, uh, questionable hobbies _and_ be good at chemistry!’” Monty laughed, knowing that Jasper must be referring to his affinity for any activity that resulted in getting high. Jasper folded his arms and continued. “So I got tired of being treated like an idiot and transferred here. I think I made out well in the end anyways.” He shot a warm look to the preppy girl next to him, who had stood smiling silently for the duration of the reunion.

  
_Shit._ Monty thought. _She actually is his girlfriend._ Icy jealousy began to prick at the edges of the happy warmth in his chest.

  
“I mean – I came here and found myself the most amazing girlfriend.” He wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, pulling her closer. “And I landed that internship with the big science and technology place down the street, Polaris. They gave me a real job too. I’m only a lab assistant, but still.” He smiled humbly, knowing that even after years of separation, his best friend would still be proud of his success.

  
“Wow,” Monty sighed. “That’s, uh, incredible. Really.” He looked between Jasper and the preppy girl before extending a hand toward her. “I’m Monty. Nice to meet you.”

  
“I know who you are,” She smiled sweetly and shook his hand. “I’m Maya.”

  
Before either of them could say another word, Jasper pulled the both of them into his chest, bobbing back and forth in excitement. “It’s not every day that my two favorite people get to be with me.” As he spoke, the warning bell rang, alerting Monty that he had two minutes to make his way to class.

  
Separating himself from the couple, Monty took a couple steps backwards. “I’ll see you guys around.” He waved to them before rotating on his heel and continuing along his way. A smile danced on the edge of his lips for the rest of the day as he reacquainted himself with joy he always felt when he was around Jasper. But in the back of his mind, a quiet voice would whisper, causing a small twinge of a darker feeling as it reminded him that Jasper had a new life that he was happy with – and it didn’t include Monty.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jasper brings Monty to their childhood hangout, memories of the past make their way to the surface.

Within a week, Monty and Jasper had adapted to each other’s schedules. Monty had his college classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while Jasper had work Monday through Thursday. Bogged down by obligations, a girlfriend, and a strict mother, their time together was limited to the time before class started and the few minutes they had to waste after school before they went their separate ways. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Monty. He was happier than he had been in ages, and their communication was minimal enough for him to ignore the fluttery feeling he felt in his stomach every time he saw Jasper.

  
On the Tuesday of the second week, Monty was leaning against his hand-me-down Honda Civic when he saw Jasper bounding out of the school to meet him. They had begun to make a habit of parking next to each other in the morning so they could spend the maximum amount of time together after school. As he jogged down the stairs and across the parking lot, Jasper waved his arms excitedly.

  
“Work called!” He gasped as he reached the other boy. “The scientist who I normally help is out of town today, so they don’t need me.” He bent forwards, gripping his knees as he tried to regulate his breathing. “Fuck, I haven’t run that much since middle school PE.”

  
Monty laughed, reaching down to jokingly check his friend’s pulse. “That was hardly even a jog, you lump.”

  
Jasper swatted Monty’s hand away. “Shut up dude, you know both of us are more brains than brawn.” He straightened up and reached for Monty’s bicep, intending to teasingly pinch a boney arm. Monty smirked as Jasper’s idea backfired and he was met with a toned, muscular arm. Jasper glared at Monty in a show of mock betrayal. “I expect an explanation for this later.”

  
Monty laughed, trying to play off the blush he felt creeping into his cheeks, when he suddenly processed the implications of his friend’s words. “Wait – ‘later?’”

  
A grin reappeared on Jasper’s slim face. “I was thinking that since you don’t have class and I don’t have work, we could hang out at my place. You know, like old times.”

  
Panic flooded Monty’s senses, changing his smile into a concerned look. “I don’t know about that…” He chewed his lower lip. He didn’t relish the idea of telling his mom about reconnecting with Jasper, but the notion of explaining to Jasper why he couldn’t be seen with him seemed even more shameful.

  
“Please?” Jasper widened his eyes, pouting. “I know your only other plans are to go study at the college library.”

  
“Jasper, that’s not it.” Monty sighed. If Jasper was trying to make him feel guilty for turning down the plans, it was definitely working.

  
“C’mon Monty,” Jasper began, his pout twitching into a small smile. “Your parents won’t find out.” He winked as he recited the same words he always used to say whenever he was trying to convince Monty to go along with one of his bad ideas.

  
“You always say that,” Monty quietly laughed. He thought through the situation. His mom would think he’s off spending his time at the library, like he normally did on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As long as he was back home before six, she wouldn’t question him. He sucked in a breath and met his friend’s eyes, nodding. “Okay. Yeah, let’s go.”

  
A large smile blossoming on his features, Jasper ruffled Monty’s dark hair and turned to mount his bike. He yanked his bandana over his mouth and his goggles over his eyes. His voice was muffled from behind the dark fabric. “Do you need to follow me there?”

  
Monty grinned as he slid inside his car. “I think I remember the way.”

 

 

 

_Friday nights were always spent at the Jordan residence. It didn’t matter if Monty had his entire extended family visiting or if Jasper was grounded. Somehow, the two fourteen-year-olds would inevitably find a way to slip away and meet in the treehouse behind Jasper’s house. At this point in their lives, after knowing each other since the second grade, spending so much time together was almost a habit. They probably knew one another more than each knew himself – right down to the way that Jasper’s eyes flickered before reassuring Monty that his parents would never learn of whatever devious plan he had come up with that week. Monty’s reluctant agreement was even more predictable._

 

_However, this week, the roles were reversed. “Come on. My parents won’t notice.” Monty nudged the taller boy as they walked their bikes home. “At least, I don’t think they will.”_

 

_“Mont, are you sure? I mean, that stuff is pretty important to them.” Jasper looked at his friend with concern._

  
_Monty smiled. “It won’t be hard. We just have to wait for the right time.” As Jasper met his eyes and gave him a tentative nod, he felt a small wave of pride surge through his body. Jasper was always the one who came up with risky plans. Jasper was always the one who made their time together fun. Now it was Monty’s turn to do something a little crazy._

  
_Monty’s house was at the edge of the block. It sat on the side of a major road, surrounded by shops and restaurants. Towering over the adjoining plaza, the narrow, two-story building seemed slightly out of place. The first story housed the Green family’s pharmacy while the second story had been converted into their apartment. The duo paused in the doorway. Their plan was a go. Monty led the way inside, weaving through shelves of first aid supplies and organic supplements. Jasper took a mental note of how many customers were on the floor. There was only one and he was standing at the counter, most likely asking about the shop’s most popular product._

  
_Medical marijuana had been legalized a little more than two years prior and little by little, shops all around the area had begun adding it to their list of commodities. Monty’s family had jumped on the bandwagon as soon as they could and within the first week of advertising the herb, the shop had seen more business than in had in the last three months. Mr. and Mrs. Green loved their store as if it were their second child, but making ends meet always seemed to be a struggle. Many of their medicines were created in-house using combinations of plants from their hydroponic garden. Despite the care they put into their profession, the store never seemed to attract the amount of customers that it deserved. The store’s newfound popularity was an immense financial relief for the whole family._

  
_Monty was grateful. He would never want to do anything that would jeopardize his family’s business. But surely a gram or two wouldn’t hurt, right? He and Jasper dropped their bags on the table in the back room and made themselves at home. All they had to do was wait until they heard the bell on the front door ring, indicating that the customer had left. Sure enough, all the customer needed was a quick fix and was on his way out the door in minutes._

_Now was the time to act. Monty poked his head around the doorway. “Mom? Dad? I need help on a heritage project.” With no customers in the store, his parents were more than happy to help. For a few minutes, they sat in the back room, answering question after basic question about their family history. Monty scribbled them down dutifully._

  
_Meanwhile, Jasper took Monty’s cue and crept out of the room as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Green were inside. Once he was behind the counter, Jasper located the shelves that held the green plant. There were several jars with the names of different strains printed on them, and below that, cabinets that held gallon bags of weed._ Shit. _He stared at all the options, blinking. There were so many._ Which did Monty tell me to take from? _He scanned the shelves, mind working fast. He picked up a small jar of green, clump-like buds. Unsure of how much was enough, Jasper used the tongs to remove a few buds and deposited them in a Ziploc bag before quickly taking a water bottle from the case that sat behind the counter._

  
_When he reentered the back room, Monty’s parents were on their way out. “Hey Mrs. Green. This water is on the house, right?” He smiled, hoping that he wouldn’t reveal his nervousness. Mrs. Green’s eye roll and laugh as she exited the room was all the confirmation that Jasper needed. Once the coast was clear, he turned back to Monty and gave his friend a smug smile._

  
_Monty excitedly punched the air before stooping down to pick up their bags. “Your place?” Without waiting for an answer, he rushed out of the room, Jasper close on his heels._

 

 

 

“So…” Monty began with a hesitant smile. “You and Maya? I mean, I don’t know her at all, but she seems way out of your league.”

 

Jasper laughed, punching his companion’s arm lightly. They were sitting on the porch of the old tree house in Jasper’s backyard. His dad had built it when they were only four and just barely tall enough to peer over his workbench. They pestered him with questions for a month, asking what it was and when it would be done and why he was being so cruel. Jasper’s parents had confined their after-school activities to only the small front yard and the rooms with windows that didn’t open to the backyard. It was the most miserable month of their young lives, but the big reveal on Jasper’s birthday was worth the wait. Jasper’s dad had instructed the two boys to close their eyes and led them out the back door, into the cool October air. When they opened their eyes, they fell in love with what would be their “home” for the next decade. Or at least until Monty was shipped off to boarding school.

  
Jasper’s eyes floated to the sign hung over the tree house door, reading “Jasper and Monty’s Place.” A knife had been used to carve an amendment after Jasper’s name – “+ Maya.” Staring at what used to be a proclamation of his and Jasper’s ownership of the house, Monty felt a strange mixture of emotions churning in his stomach. He resented the fact that this spot was obviously so important to Jasper and Maya that she would feel the need to add her name to the sign. He tried to ignore the implications that arose from his horndog best friend bringing a girl up to the house. However, at the same time, a strange warmth eased his jealousy by pointing out that even after nearly four years of no contact, Jasper never felt the urge to scratch out Monty’s name.

  
Closing his eyes, Jasper sighed and lowered himself to lay on the yellow wood, his legs dangling over the edge. “I can’t argue with that. Maya really is too good for me. I’m just glad she has low standards.” He paused his self-deprecation to listen for Monty’s chuckle before continuing. “I met her in art class.”

  
Monty choked on a breath of air. “ _You_? In an art class? I hate to break it to you bud, but I don’t think high schools can hire nude models.”

  
“Shut up,” Jasper groaned, laughing softly. “I transferred mid-year, so I didn’t have many elective options. But she was there, and she was really good. I sucked, like, majorly. I tried to pass off the shit I made as artsy, but apparently only Jackson Pollock can pass off random splats as art. When I do it, I’m just being ‘lazy.’ Damn double standards.” He shook his head and ignored Monty mumbling a smart-assed comment about abstract expressionism and Jasper’s inability to understand anything that isn’t spelled out to him.

  
“So Maya helped me. Taught me how to draw a face and mix paint and things. She saved me from failing art class, which would have been a little embarrassing.”

  
“Meaning she did your projects for you.” Monty glared teasingly at his best friend, knowing him too well to be fooled by a sweet story. Jasper met him with a sly smile, giving him all of the confirmation he needed. Sighing at his friend’s predictability, Monty eased onto his back and made himself comfortable on the porch.

  
The calm lingered for a few moments until Jasper sat up suddenly, scrambling to his feet. Monty watched as the taller boy excitedly entered the tree house and began pulling at a floorboard. When they were young, the space beneath that floorboard housed jars of candy and Jasper’s dad’s star charts. Every Friday night, they would eagerly remove their stash and gnaw on candy while attempting to identify the constellations.

  
But what Jasper removed from the space was neither star charts nor candy. Instead, it was a grey tin with lifted purple designs. Jasper opened the tin and Monty narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out the contents, but his nose answered his questions before his eyes could.

  
“Shit, I’m out.” Jasper held up a pipe, its bowl still dark with traces of ash, and an empty Ziploc bag. “I was gonna suggest we play some puff puff pass, since our last session together got cut short, but…” He pouted at the empty bag, failing to notice the way that Monty’s face had drained of color.

  
Monty still hadn’t told him why he had left so abruptly back then. Frankly, he doubted that he would ever have the heart to.

 

 

 

_Hearts pounding, Monty and Jasper pedaled furiously as they raced each other to Jasper’s backyard. Monty was always slightly faster than the other boy, as puberty had blessed him with muscles while Jasper only received height and awkward facial hair. At fourteen, Jasper towered four inches above his friend, thanks to a recent growth spurt. Monty was still growing at a more moderate pace, and sometimes he thanked his lucky stars for that as he watched Jasper, who often looked like a gangly, clumsy baby deer who is still trying to understand how legs work._

  
_They reached Jasper’s house and deposited their bikes on the side before unhooking the gate to the backyard. Without even stopping to catch his breath, Monty jogged to the tree house ladder and climbed until he emerged on the porch of the yellow-brown structure. As he waited for his friend to catch up with him, he unzipped his backpack to remove a grinder, a lighter, and few pre-rolled cones that he had discreetly taken the last time he was helping his family unbox new stock._

  
_Finally, Jasper’s head appeared at the top of the ladder. “Are you sure your parents won’t notice what I took?” He pulled himself onto the porch and flopped down onto the rough wood with a dull thump._

  
_Monty shrugged. “If they didn’t notice what I took a few weeks ago, I doubt they’ll notice today.” He gestured to the supplies that were neatly laid out in front of him, ready for use._

  
_Nodding, Jasper produced the weed and handed it to Monty. He propped his chin up on his hand and watched silently as Monty loaded some of the dry plant into the grinder and began to twist the object. The movement of the spiraling, rainbow mandala printed on the top of the grinder pulled Jasper into a fascinated trance as he listened to the sound of the hot, summer wind rattling the tree around them._

  
_When Monty was satisfied, he twisted the top off of the grinder and pushed the container of green flakes towards Jasper. He pointed to one of the brown cones. “Here, just put this into that.”_

  
_Jasper groaned and buried his face in the crook of his elbow. “That’s a lot of work.”_

  
_“Fine, then I’ll just smoke it all myself. This is my family’s weed anyways.”_

  
_Jasper turned his head to glare at Monty, knowing that he could – and very well would – smoke the entire joint before Jasper could even get a hit. They weren’t particularly new to the activity, even though this was their first time smoking by themselves. Jasper’s family was the friendliest on the block, and growing up with the neighborhood kids gave him and Monty a free pass to all of their high school parties. They felt embarrassingly young when they first started showing up to these events; they were the two thirteen year olds in a sea of juniors and seniors. Neighbors such as Raven Reyes and Bellamy Blake would throw parties on Jasper’s street as soon as their parents left for the weekend, and to be honest, the only reason they would let Jasper in was because he was a form of entertainment._

  
_Jasper seemed to lack self-control at parties. When only alcohol was available, he would drink himself far beyond tipsy within the first few minutes after his arrival. Lacking any inhibitions, Jasper would become the joke of the night by flirting shamelessly with all the older girls and doing whatever stunt the others dared him to do. When weed was available, his insatiable appetite for snack foods became a thing to marvel at. Monty would only join Jasper at the events where weed was promised and would, more often than not, spend his time on one of the couches, hogging a pipe until he felt like he was comfortably baked._

  
_Unwilling to let Monty hog the weed they had just stolen, Jasper sighed and began packing the weed into the cone._

  
_Minutes later, the pair were well into their first joint and settling into a calm buzz. Jasper was greedily packing a second cone while Monty took another hit off the first. As infrequent smokers, it still seemed to take a lot of weed for them to feel high._

  
_“We’ll still stay close during high school, right?” Monty wondered aloud. Jasper had been accepted into a science and technology magnet school thirty minutes away while Monty was set to go to the local high school, Arkadia High._

  
_Jasper grinned. “Yeah, of course.”_

  
_Monty returned the smile before continuing. “But what if you finally find some girl who will actually go for you? I won’t be around. And you gotta save some time for me. I’m still going to come here every Friday whether you like it or not.”_

  
_“If? Dude, I’m becoming a party legend. They’ll come to me.” Monty rolled his eyes at that comment, knowing very well why Jasper was a “party legend.” Ignoring it, Jasper continued. “But you’ll still be my number one.”_

  
_Monty felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach and he prayed that Jasper wouldn’t notice the color pouring into his cheeks. He was still in denial that his friend was making him feel some type of way, but a strange urge pushed him to get closer to the taller boy. Jasper didn’t notice and continued to pack the cone. Monty gazed into Jasper’s chocolate-colored eyes, dark and wide and pulling him in. Recently, he found himself dreading conversations with Jasper involving girls. As humorous as it was to see Jasper making a fool of himself in front of the opposite sex, Monty sometimes wished he were the one that Jasper wanted to be with. Jasper's reassuring comment only made Monty feel for him more._

  
_Maybe it was the weed, or maybe it was sheer stupidity, but Monty found himself leaning closer to his friend. Jasper’s long, stringy bangs had fallen into his eyes, creating sweeping arcs of brown across his forehead. Entranced, Monty reached forward and lightly tucked a few stray pieces back behind Jasper’s ear. Startled by the touch, Jasper looked up and locked eyes with his friend. For a moment they hesitated before Monty leaned in, hoping his friend could close the gap. And he did. They met in a strange, chaste kiss before pulling away slightly, unsure of how to continue. It certainly wasn’t romantic and a rather disappointing first kiss for Monty. Jasper had sloppily kissed a few girls before, but only when he had been drinking._

_Suddenly, Jasper’s fingers curled around Monty’s shirt collar, pulling him close again. This time, Jasper angled his head, tenderly locking his lips with Monty’s. It was still an inexperienced, juvenile kiss, but Monty found himself easing into it as Jasper’s tongue lapped at Monty’s lips, encouraging him to let the kiss go deeper._

  
_A synthetic, chime-like tinkle suddenly began a repetitious anthem, causing both boys to drowsily look away, confused. Jasper opened his mouth to ask about the sound, but before he could articulate any words, Monty stiffened and let the joint in his other hand drop to the wooden floor._

  
_Panic shook the haze in his brain away as he scrambled to open his bag and retrieve his phone. It was an old Motorola flip phone, passed down to him for emergency purposes only. No one called or texted it except for his parents, and in those rare occasions, the news on the other end normally wasn’t good. Eyes wide, he flipped open the phone and processed the messages from his mom._

  
_“Monty.”_

  
_“Where are you?”_

  
_“Come home now. No buts.”_

  
_Monty turned to Jasper, who had stopped packing and was now watching from below drooping eyelids. “I have to go,” Monty explained. “I think something happened.”_

  
_Jasper scratched his head. “Yeah, okay,” He sighed. “More weed for me.” He blankly watched the other boy as he gathered his belongings for a moment before realizing with concern that Monty hadn’t reacted to his comment. “Be safe, I guess. I wouldn’t want you to become a headline.”_

  
_He watched as Monty made his way down the ladder and over to his bike without so much as sparing another word._

 

 

 

They laid on the wooden tree house floor for what felt like an eternity, watching the clouds move overhead and catching each other up on nearly four years worth of jokes, stories, and grievances. A few months earlier, Monty had assumed he would never be able to sit in this tree house again, but fate had brought them together again.

  
As if he were reading Monty’s mind, Jasper smiled and turned to face the other boy. “Fuck, it’s been a while. It never stopped being weird coming here without you.”

  
“Oh-kay.” Monty’s voice took on a sarcastic tone. “I don’t think you were particularly mourning me while Maya was up here though.”

  
Jasper’s eyes widened and his face shifted into an expression of sincerity. “I’m not kidding Monty. This was our place.” His voice dropped a couple decibels. “It still is.”

  
Monty turned to meet Jasper’s eyes, a sly grin creeping across his lips. “Jasper Jordan, were you thinking of how much you missed me during tree house sex? How sweet, I never knew you fe–” His words were cut off as Jasper sat up and clamped a hand over his mouth to keep him from finishing his sentence. Monty pushed Jasper’s hand away and laughed in an attempt to mask the strange hurt he felt when Jasper didn’t deny his assumption. He tried to forget the fact that he had had his first kiss in this tree house.

  
The sound of car tires on gravel pulled Monty out of his thoughts. He sat up and looked towards the front of Jasper’s home. The tree house was just tall enough so that one could see the driveway clearly, as well as the roofs of nearby homes and the skyline of the downtown area in the distance. Monty watched as Jasper’s dad got out of the car and gave a confused look to Monty’s silver Honda before looking up at the tree house. He gave a brief wave, which Monty eagerly returned, before continuing up the walkway to the door.

  
Jasper chuckled. “He probably thinks you’re Maya with a haircut from this distance.”

  
Monty laughed in agreement before frowning as he recalled the time that Jasper’s dad would always come home from work when they were kids. “Wait, what time is it?” He turned to Jasper with a new, more frantic look in his eyes.

  
Jasper pressed the home button on his phone. “Six,” He replied as he read the time on the bright display.

  
_Shit._ Monty had to be home soon so that his mom wouldn’t get suspicious. “I need to get going.” He got up quickly and began his descent down the ladder, hoping that Jasper wouldn’t comment. Jasper was his best friend, but Monty still didn’t want to tell him what had been going on at home or the reason he left town in the first place.

  
“Wait,” Jasper said, a hint of despair in his voice. He poked his head over the edge of the porch so that he could see his friend. “Just… tell me you’re not going to disappear. Because the last time you had to leave in a hurry, I lost you.”

  
Monty looked up, almost surprised at Jasper’s concern. He smiled slightly and gave the other boy a brisk nod. “I… yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

 

 

 

_Monty returned home to find his mom standing in the living room, waiting for him. He was breathless from the bike ride and the panic was pushing the effects of the earlier smoking session out of his brain. “What’s wrong? Is dad okay? Is the shop okay?”_

  
_Hannah Green crossed her arms, her jaw set in a firm frown. “Everything is fine, but I’m worried that you might change that.”_

  
_Monty blanched. He didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”_

  
_“I mean the drugs that you took from the store.”_

  
_Monty fell quiet. He didn’t want to lie, but he also couldn’t wrap his mind around how his mom would have found out or why she would be this angry._

  
_“Look, Monty,” Mrs. Green sighed, letting her hands fall to rest on her hips. “Your dad and I weigh the jars at the end of each week so we can make a record of how much we sold and how much we need to refill. One jar was missing a few grams. If I’m wrong, tell me now, but I have a feeling you and Jasper took it.”_

  
_Monty felt his stomach drop. By technicality, Jasper was the reason that they had gotten caught. He had told Jasper to take the drugs from one of the larger bags of stock that was stashed in the cabinet, not one of the jars. But it was his own idea and plan. He felt sick knowing that he had pulled Jasper into this situation. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. “You’re right.” He spoke in a quiet voice. “I took it. I’m sorry.”_

  
_His mother raised an eyebrow. “You did? Not Jasper? So all this was your idea?” She knew that Jasper had a tendency to get her own son in trouble, but she was far above accusing another family’s son if her own admitted to the crime._

  
_Monty nodded, shame burning at his cheeks._

  
_She sighed again and looked away, shaking her head. “Monty, I know you don’t think this is serious, but it really is. This store is our only income at the moment, and medical marijuana is the only reason why we’re doing so well. It isn’t a toy. If a police officer caught you and traced the drugs back to this shop, I could get charged for selling drugs to a minor. My license to sell would be revoked. We would lose all of our business. Do you understand?”_

  
_“Yes, I’m sorry.” Monty’s entire face was on fire now. He hadn’t thought about that. He thought that the only consequences would be for him and Jasper, not his family._

  
_“I forgive you, but this can’t happen again.” Mrs. Green’s voice was resolute, but she hesitated to continue. “I already spoke to your dad about this. We want you to start boarding school in the fall.”_

  
_Monty looked up at his mom, stunned. “You can’t do that. My whole life is here.”_

  
_“We do what we need to do to survive, Monty. I can’t let you be a risk to the family.”_

  
_“But what about Jasper?” Monty’s voice was frantic. “What about all of my friends.”_

  
_“It’s already settled. You’re leaving in two weeks.”_

  
_“But Mom–”_

  
_“No buts. This is decided. You won’t be seeing Jasper before you leave either. Goodnight.” With that, she took her leave and excused herself to her bedroom._

  
_Monty stood in the living room, shaken to the core and saddened beyond expression. He’d be leaving his best friend. But for how long? Where was he even going? Hundreds of questions circulated in his mind, but one horrifying, overarching question trumped all of the others:_ What have I done?

 

 

 

Jasper remained in the tree house long after the sun painted the sky shades of red and orange and the stars brought with them a blanket of indigo. He had wanted to ask Monty so many things ever since he first crash-landed back into Jasper’s world. Why had he left without even a single word? What happened that day? Why was he acting so shady even now? But he knew Monty too well. As soon as he saw Monty’s slight change of expression when he brought up Monty’s period of absence on that day they reunited, he knew not to ask any more questions. Monty would explain when he was ready. Or at least Jasper hoped he would.

  
Jasper’s dark eyes scanned the night sky, naming the constellations that he and Monty had memorized when they were in middle school. Pegasus, Sagittarious, Hercules… Some part of him had hoped that by bringing Monty to the tree house, they would be able to pick up their friendship from where it had left off. He bit his lower lip, remembering the kiss they had shared right before Monty disappeared. He knew he had a girlfriend now, as well as a job and a future, but…

  
He shook the other thoughts out of his head. Perhaps some things are better left in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for reference, this is what i imagine the treehouse to look like: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/6c/2c/7b/6c2c7b3e51498737134aade584fa2743.jpg  
> it has a porch and a house like in the picture, but its much higher in a tree.  
> also, i began writing this fic before i even watched season three, so I was a bit hesitant to write Monty's mom as strict. but in the show, she values survival and even comments that whatever helps a person to survive is the right thing to do. i hope i was able to convey that attitude of her's in this. 
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated! enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> i know, this first chapter is a little slow. it's mostly set up. but the second chapter will be up within the week, and the story should start to pick up from there!


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